The present invention relates to a portable radio communication apparatus and, more particularly, to an antenna handling mechanism incorporated in such an apparatus and including an antenna which can be pulled out of the casing of the apparatus, as desired.
Various kinds of portable radio communication apparatuses are extensively used today and include an on-board communication apparatus for an automobile telephone system, a radio pager, and a portable radio telephone. Many of such apparatuses are provided with an antenna which can be pulled out of a casing when communication is to be established. This kind of antenna has the tip thereof protruding from the casing to allow the user of the apparatus to easily hold it and pull it out. Specifically, even when the antenna is received in the casing, only the tip thereof protrudes from the top of the casing to promote easy handling of the antenna. However, the problem is that the tip of the antenna protruding from the casing is a hindrance while the apparatus is simply carried by the user, degrading the portability. To eliminate this problem, the casing may be formed with a recess deep enough to accommodate the tip of the antenna to thereby prevent the tip from projecting from the casing when the antenna is received in the casing, as proposed in the past. This kind of scheme, however, brings about another problem that it is troublesome for the user to hold and pull out the tip of the antenna buried in the casing.